Module 5 Respiratory Discussion

.docx

School

Southern Union State Community College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

105

Subject

Medicine

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by AgentBookPrairieDog15

Chronic Beryllium Disease 1) Write a thorough description (3-5 sentences) of the condition, using medical terminology and scientific facts. a. Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD, berylliosis) is a chronic granulomatous lung disease that is caused by exposure and inhaling beryllium- a naturally lightweight metal. CBD scars the lungs through inhaling dust or fumes containing beryllium, but inhaling beryllium does not always lead to CBD. Exposure to beryllium can come from several industries like aerospace, electronics, dental, defense, recycling, and atomic energy. 2) Include the symptoms (how would a person know they were sick?). a. When an individual develops CBD, their lungs begin to swell because they are reacting to something foreign that has entered the body. The lungs’ reaction to the beryllium exposure is to develop granulomas, which are tiny clusters of immune cells and other tissue. This can eventually lead to an individual’s lungs becoming scarred, in turn, this reduces the lungs’ ability to function accordingly. The inflammation continues and eventually you may develop symptoms, such as: shortness of breath, a dry cough that is not going away, fatigue, night sweats, chest and joint pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fever. Symptoms and progression of CBD can differ among individuals. After initial exposure to beryllium, some people might develop symptoms quickly, others might not experience symptoms until months or years after their initial exposure. CBD sign and symptoms are like pulmonary sarcoidosis, which is a rare granulomatous lung disease cause by inflammation in mainly the lungs and lymph nodes. 3) What tests (medical name of tests) are used to diagnose the condition? a. As said in the previous question, people who have CBD in its early stages may not have any symptoms, so diagnosing this disease can be difficult. Your doctor will most likely start with getting information about your medical and occupational history, then conduct a thorough medical examination, looking for certain signs that may indicate if you have CBD. An enlarged heart, swollen lymph nodes, and concerning breath sounds in your lungs would be strong indicators during your examination to your doctor that you might have CBD. This will help the doctor in determining whether you have been exposed to a toxic substance that may have caused CBD. CBD is often misdiagnosed with sarcoidosis, so proper testing and specific occupational history is essential. Another step in indicating I you have CBD or not would be taking a beryllium lymphocyte proliferation blood test (BeLPT), which looks at your white blood

cell’s reaction to the beryllium, which is an indicator for CBD. A positive test result will prompt additional test to make a more definitive diagnosis, such as: i. Chest X-ray (radiography; serial chest x-ray; x-ray – chest): This would be the first test someone would take if a doctor thought the patient had CBD. A chest x- ray will just look for abnormalities in your lungs that are consistent with CBD, such as, scarring of lung tissue. ii. Pulmonary function testing (PFT; spirometry; spirogram; lung function tests; lung volume; plethysmography): This test requires a patient to a series of breathing maneuvers to measure their airflow a volume in their lungs. This allows the doctor to assess the function of the patient’s lungs. iii. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT, CAT scan; computed axial tomography scan; computed tomography scan): This type of scanning will produce his-resolution images of a patient’s lungs, determining which type of occupational lung disease you may have. HRCT is the same as having CT scan, you just get better imaging with one rather than the other. iv. Bronchoscopy (fiberoptic bronchoscopy; lung cancer - bronchoscopy; pneumonia - bronchoscopy; chronic lung disease – bronchoscopy): A bronchoscope is an instrument used to see the inside of one’s airway and lungs. The scope is very flexible and less than a centimeter wide and about 2 feet long. A bronchoscopy is used to diagnose lung diseases and to determine the best treatment of some lung conditions. The bronchoscope will obtain fluid and may tissue samples to aid in a diagnosis. With regarding CBD, a bronchoscopy will test a patient’s sputum because the same fluid can be used in the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT) test. v. Lung biopsy: A lung biopsy is a surgical procedure where a price of a patient’s lung tissue is removed and taken to be examined under a microscope. If either of the patient’s chest x- ray or high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) detect any tumors/growths or abnormalities, a lung biopsy will probably be a patient’s last resort in determining whether they have lung cancer. 4) What treatments or medicines (scientific names) can be used to treat the condition? a. As of today, there is no cure for chronic beryllium disease (CBD). However, there are plenty of treatments available that can help a patient’s symptoms and slow the progression of their disease to prevent further lung damage. Treatments may include:

i. Immunosuppressive drugs/Corticosteroids: These are a class of medicines that decrease the intensity of the immune system response in one’s body. The most common immunosuppressive drug out there for CBD is prednisone. Prednisone slows a patient’s immune system response to beryllium in their lungs and decreases their symptoms. This drug in return, improves the gas exchange between the lungs and bloodstream. Over time, patients will gradually decrease their dosage. Side effects of prednisone consist of blurred vision, weight gain, dizziness, abdominal pain, irritability, and many more. ii. Oxygen therapy: As a patients CBD progresses, they migt have a ahrdertime breathing on their own and may need supplemental oxygen. Therapy can be give in different systems and the system that will fit your needs will depend on the severity of ones disease, lifestyle, and location. Concentrators, compressed gas, and liquid gas systems are the three ways in which therapy can be delivered. Oxygen can be delivered in a number of ways such as a plastic tube placed under the nostrils which is called a canula of face mask in transtracheal oxygen catheter which is a thin tube placed in the neck that delivers oxygen right to the windpipe these devices are mainly used for continuous and long term oxygen therapy iii. Lung transplant: in severe cases along transplant may be recommended. Treatments for any condition or disease are determined on the severity of ones case. It is important for a patient to discuss the risk with their doctor before starting any type of medication. 5) What is the outlook for complete recovery? a. Knowing that there's no cure for chronic beryllium disease you can't completely recover from it but as I stated before there are treatments to be able to manage the disease so you're not uncomfortable and you're able to live with the disease. Prevention is key in the management of chronic brilliant disease. Currently CBD is incompletely understood and people who have this disease can obtain a disability or possibly die due to the disease progressing. So taking the steps to prevent chronic brain disease is very important because there is little history and no cure for CBD currently. The following are some ways that you can prevent or avoiding exposing yourself to Berlin and exposing others to beryllium. To prevent inhaling or exposing yourself temporarily you can make sure that your workspace has adequate ventilation that works the minimal use of running

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help